Iran offers Hormuz reopening for sanctions relief and ceasefire talks

Iran has proposed reopening the Strait of Hormuz and reviving nuclear talks if the US eases sanctions, lifts its naval blockade and honours a ceasefire. The offer revives diplomacy but faces Saudi scepticism, regional war risks and sharp divisions within Iran.Dubai,Sep 25, 2026 23:54 ISTIran has offered to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and resume talks on its nuclear programme within seven days if the United States lifts its naval blockade of Iranian ports, waives sanctions on Iranian oil sales and observes a ceasefire that would include Lebanon, according to a person who attended a private gathering on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.The proposal, outlined on Thursday by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, comes amid what the White House on Friday described as positive and constructive conversations with mediators on the Iran war. The proposed arrangement, conveyed to the US through mediators, closely resembles a memorandum of understanding reached in June, though this time with a faster timetable.Trita Parsi, executive vice president of the Quincy Institute think tank, said Araghchi suggested a quick agreement could help US President Donald Trump ahead of November's midterm elections, while also easing the heavy economic pressure on Tehran as Washington adds more sanctions. Iran's disruption of the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world's traded oil and gas passed before the war, has become its main source of leverage, with the impact being felt well beyond the Middle East.There was no immediate comment from Iran's UN mission or other Iranian officials. A person familiar with the matter, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss private deliberations, told The Associated Press that Saudi Arabia was sceptical of the latest push for a deal. In response to questions from AP, the White House said the US was facilitating significant oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz. The June understanding had provided for a 60-day interim period but quickly collapsed after Iran resumed attacks on shipping in the strait. Trump has said he is in no rush to reach a deal, even as high oil prices feed inflation. On the Iranian side, there are doubts over whether hard-liners who dominate the security forces would accept compromises backed by moderates such as President Masoud Pezeshkian.Parsi said, "If Trump calculates this arrangement is worthwhile and can bring political benefit before the midterms and reduce gas prices, perhaps we'll see flexibility not seen in previous weeks." But he also pointed to "deep suspicion", especially over the possibility that Iran could simply be buying time to export more oil and ease its economic strain. There have been other signs of renewed diplomacy. Early on Friday, Pezeshkian hosted the prime minister of Qatar, which has been a key mediator, including during hours of indirect Iran-US talks at the UN this week. It was not clear how long Pezeshkian and Araghchi would remain in the US after Pezeshkian told the annual UN gathering of world leaders on Wednesday that Iran remained open to diplomacy. On the same day, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, "if there's an opportunity to exchange ideas and messages, we will."Suspicion remains high after multiple failed attempts at a deal. The US and Israel have attacked Iran twice while it was engaged in nuclear talks, and Washington and Tehran accuse each other of quickly violating the June agreement. Hamidreza Azizi, senior Iran analyst at the International Crisis Group think tank, wrote on X, "The Iranians already know that the chances of this not being accepted by Trump are much higher than the opposite." He added, "They want to show that they were ready for diplomacy and that it was the United States that, for the third time, decided to attack in the middle of a diplomatic track - something that people within (Iran's) strategic community have been anticipating over the past few days."It is also unclear whether the latest proposal would cover the conflict in Yemen. The proposed ceasefire would include Lebanon, where Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah have largely been observing a truce. But it is not clear if it would also cover the renewed fighting involving Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels and Saudi Arabia, which has put further pressure on global markets. Iran appears to believe the Houthis' stronger ability to threaten the Bab el-Mandeb strait on the Red Sea could push Trump towards a deal.Maj. Gen. Yahya Rahim Safavi, a military adviser to Iran's new supreme leader, told state television that the Americans "face a new problem called the Bab el-Mandeb Strait." He added: "I think the process that is unfolding is in our favour, and the Americans will be forced to accept Iran's conditions." According to the person familiar with the matter, Saudi Arabia was doubtful about Araghchi's latest push because of the Houthis' recent surge in attacks. The person said Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia, had favoured a return to negotiations over the summer and could accept an arrangement giving Iran a temporary role in managing the Strait of Hormuz, but Saudi calculations changed after the Houthis took Yemen's strategic Red Sea coast from pro-government forces and a key Saudi pipeline came under attack. The same person said Gulf leaders had planned to meet in Oman earlier this month to discuss an emerging Oman-Iran agreement on the strait, but the meeting was cancelled after Saudi Arabia sought amendments, only some of which Iran accepted.Iran's leadership has also shown signs of internal division. Some hard-liners want to continue or intensify the war in search of bigger US concessions and have criticised Pezeshkian and Araghchi for their diplomatic efforts this week. Lawmaker Ebrahim Rezaei wrote on X that merely meeting with "the aggressor enemy" showed weakness, while Iran's Assembly of Experts said "there is no path other than resistance". At the same time, Revolutionary Guard chief Brig. Gen. Ahmad Vahidi highlighted the UN speech by "the esteemed president" and focused on Pezeshkian's remarks that Iran does not fear war.Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, who had earlier served as chief negotiator in talks with the US, gave a rare public acknowledgment of the divide. He wrote on social media: "There is a view that speaks of war but offers no prospect or mechanism for bringing it to a powerful conclusion." He added, "At the opposite end is a current that makes the error of underestimating national capabilities." Qalibaf said, "The first error keeps the country in a state of permanent crisis, while the second hands national resources and dignity over to the enemy."Overall, Iran's latest proposal has reopened a possible diplomatic track, but it comes against the backdrop of failed past efforts, regional tensions involving Lebanon and Yemen, Saudi scepticism and visible divisions within Iran over whether to pursue compromise or confrontation.With PTI Inputs- Ends